


Winterfalcon Tumblr Prompts

by Unclesteeb



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-07-10 06:36:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6970186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unclesteeb/pseuds/Unclesteeb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various Sam/Bucky and two Sam/Steve/Bucky prompts from my Tumblr. If you would like to skip the Samstevebucky, skip to chapter 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Falcon Pillow

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt:OKAY BUT HEAR ME OUT IMAGINE IF BUCKY HAD A FALCON HERO BODY PILLOW. NATASHA GAVE IT TO HIM AS A JOKE BUT NOW HE CAN'T SLEEP WITH OUT IT.
> 
> Here's some pining Steve/Bucky because they both love Sam and don’t know what to do about it.  
> Also, everybody loving Sam Wilson is my JAM.

It started out as a joke, really. 

There was a night shortly after he came out of cryo where Steve awoke to find Bucky gone from their bed. Steve instantly jumped into action, fear running through his veins. 

“Bucky!” He yelled, flinging open the bedroom door and running down the hallway. What he saw in the living room made him skid to a halt.

Bucky was fast asleep on the couch, lying completely on top of Sam.

Sam looked at Steve murderously before pressing a finger to his lips, “shhhh.”  
Steve caught his breath for a minute and watched Sam snuggle a little deeper into Bucky, protectively wrapping an arm around him before shrugging and turning on his heel to retreat back to their bedroom.

Whatever helped Bucky sleep was okay in his book.

The next morning, he awoke to Natasha’s awful cackling.

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Barnes, stop looking at me like that. Oh I wish I had a camera.”

Steve padded into the living room to see Bucky, glaring at Natasha from Sam’s chest. Bucky’s hair was wild and tangled from sleep and his eyebrows were pulled tight together. Steve was reminded of a picture of an angry cat he saw once and chuckled.

“I bet we do look adorable don’t we, Bucky?” Sam looked amused “Badass by day, adorably snuggling our nightmares away by night. But you gotta get up, I have to pee.”  
Bucky snuggled further into Sam’s chest “No.” Then landed roughly on the floor with an “oof” as Sam pushed him off to retreat to the bathroom. Bucky looked at Steve and shrugged.

The next night Steve and Bucky returned to their bedroom to find a life-sized Falcon pillow on their bed.  
—————  
“Can I lay on Sam tonight?” Steve asked. Today’s mission had been a hard one and Steve was feeling it. Plus, Bucky had been hogging the falcon pillow for weeks now.  
“No it’s mine! I need it to sleep.”

“We could share it.” Steve offered with a shrug. 

They tried, and ended up clunking their heads together while each trying to get a properly sized portion of Sam-pillow.  
“You know,” Bucky said running his head, “we could just ask Wilson to sleep with us. You know, because of the trauma.”

Steve snorted “Yeah the trauma, not because of how you can’t help but stare at his ass when he wears jeans.”  
Bucky sat up “Me? You know he told me about how you two met.” He made his voice falsetto mockingly, “thanks for the run, if that’s what you want to call it.” He then winked in Steve’s direction and nudged him with his elbow. “You’ve always been shit at flirting, Rogers.”

“Yes. That’s why _you_ have to go ask Sam to come snuggle.”

The two of them dissolved into a giggling wresting pile of super soldier, daring the other to ask Sam when their door creaked open.  
The man himself poked his head in “Ask Sam what?”


	2. The Day Sam Wilson Was Ill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr Prompt: More ot3, Bucky taking care of a sick Sam Wilson, and Bucky sleepwalking into Sam's room but also going into his room while he was sleeping sometimes to check on him.
> 
> Aka The Falcon Pillow part 2

“Steve, wake up.”  
Steve cracks an eye open. Bucky’s standing above him with his eyebrows furrowed  
“What”  
“Sam’s sick.”  
Steve sits up to check the time.  
“How do you know that? It’s 4 am Bucky. Is he awake?”  
“He’s sleeping. But his temperature is elevated.”  
“Bucky, how do you know that?”  
“I was in his room, checking on him.”  
“Buck…" 

Since getting out of cryo, sleep has been rough on Bucky. In the beginning, Bucky had thought that sharing a room (and a bed) with Steve was the best option (Steve pretended it wasn't because of the simple fact that out of everyone- he could take Bucky out the fastest). Most nights though, he flops around like a cat on their bed until he passes out. Others he stalks around the house, as quiet as one would expect. Some nights Steve’s awoken to Sam being set down in-between them. Some nights Steve’s awoken to being carried into Sam’s room and placed gently onto his bed, only to have Bucky snuggle in beside the both of them. On these nights Sam and Steve will peak an eye open at each other, or make an affirmative noise before passing out again. Bucky’s always been a weird guy, and being the Asset of Hydra for 70 years only exacerbated that. Sam and Steve both don’t mind being smushed into a super hero sandwich if it helps Bucky sleep. Plus, Steve rather enjoys snuggling into the both of them until morning, or when Sam literally rips the covers off of all of them and says something to the nature of “It’s an oven in here! You both run too hot! How do you even SLEEP?” And then goes to shower.

Bucky sits down hard on their bed.

“Fine. A few weeks ago, remember when I was sleepwalking for a few days?” Steve nods. It hadn’t been fun. The first time Steve had tried to wake him up and received a metal arm to the face for his troubles. “Well, I ended up in Sam’s room more times than not. Some times I would come to in there. Sam’s real nice, you know? He always makes me feel good.” Steve nods again. He can relate. “Now that I’m not sleepwalking anymore I just go” he takes a breath, “check on him sometimes. I like listening to him breathe.”

Steve hasn’t had enough sleep to fully absorb this.

“Okay so you were listening to Sam breathe and you noticed he had a fever?”

Bucky blinks “Yes.”

“So, what do you want me to do about it? He probably needs to sleep. We shouldn’t wake him up.”

Bucky scowls at him. “No. You’re right. We’re going to make him soup.”

Steve opens his mouth to protest because _Jesus it’s 4 in the morning_ but Bucky stops him by waving his hand.

“I made soup for you plenty of times when you were sick and scrawny, so don’t even start with the ‘it’s the middle of the night buck’ nonsense.”

“First of all, my voice doesn’t even sound like that. Second, we don’t have the ingredients for soup.”

So that’s how Steve finds himself trailing behind Bucky and his shopping cart at the 24 hour grocery store. He watches Bucky as he places chicken stock, noodles, carrots and celery in the cart. He follows him quietly, until they get to the snack isle.

“Bucky, are you going to put Doritos in the soup?”

Bucky smiles. “Nah, I just like the cool ranch kind.“

It’s hours later (and actually daylight) when Sam stumbles into the kitchen.

“Morning.” He mumbles. Aww, he sounds stuffed up. Steve allows himself to admit that it sounds adorable.

Bucky’s at Sam’s side in an instant. He hands Sam two fever relievers and a glass of water.  
“Here, you need these to get your temperature down. Then go back to bed. The soup’s almost done.”  
He peppers a quick kiss to Sam’s cheek before returning to the soup.

Sam looks in-between Steve and Bucky.

“How…how did he?”

Steve shushes him and wraps an arm around his waist.

“Don’t ask. Let’s get you back to bed, yeah?”


	3. The Hot Library Guy and the Giant Dork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr Prompt: University AU where Bucky always returns books late/lose them just so he can spend time with Sam who volunteers there. Or Bucky pretends he needs help finding books/sources for his essays just to spend alone time with Sam.

“I’ll catch you later Steve, I’m going to head to the library.”

His shorter friend spins around on his heels.

“Bucky you’ve been to the library three times this week.” 

He has, but today was going to be different. You see, two weeks ago Bucky had needed to look up some information for his psychology lecture. He found the information he needed. He also laid eyes upon the hottest guy he’s ever seen. He spotted him down the row, shelving books with his gorgeous shoulders and his beautiful thighs. Bucky had been so taken aback that he managed to drop the textbook on his foot, a yelp left his mouth before he could stifle it, which caused the hot library guy to look his way.

“Hey man, you okay?” Hot Library Guy made his way over to him.

Bucky hopped on one foot for a second before admitting defeat and sitting down in the middle of the isle.

“Yeah, just stings.”'

Now, don’t let anyone tell you that Bucky Barnes has never made a mistake, and one of them was looking up into Hot Library Guy’s beautiful brown eyes. Bucky could hear his inner monologue laughing at him. He was so, so fucked.

Hot Library Guy then did the worst thing he could have ever done. He smiled, showing the cutest little gap in between his front teeth.

Fuck

“It’s happened to me once or twice before. Motrin and ice when you get home.” He extended a hand to help Bucky to his feet. Bucky took it and lifted himself up.

“Yeah. Thanks.”  
Hot library guy was still smiling so it took Bucky a minute to remember he was still holding his hand. He let go quickly.

“I’m Sam. Got the lovely privilege of fulfilling my community service requirement here.” He extended his arms to indicate the library “Pre-Med major.”

Oh right, because Bucky needed more reasons to like the guy.

“Bucky Barnes. Psychology major. I promise I’m usually more graceful than that.” Sam laughed, Bucky blushed. "Well, I should get going. See you around Sam.“

Since then, Bucky has been to the library four times to try and talk to Sam again. Today, though, he had a plan.

“Fine. Whatever. I don’t even want to know” Steve whacked him on the shoulder before retreating with a wave.

Right so the plan was this: Bucky would casually stride into the library, find Sam and then ask him to help him find a book that his psychology professor had suggested to them earlier this year. Bucky would then be so smooth that Sam would be making major heart eyes. Then, Bucky would ask him out. Right. Totally smooth. He was going to execute this plan perfectly. Bucky “smooth and suave” Barnes.

Bucky was in fact so smooth and casual that during his mental monologue he managed to walk into something.

Oh. He had walked directly into Sam.

Well that’s one way of initiating a conversation. Way to go Buck.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.“ Sam was smirking. He had somehow managed not to spill the papers he was carrying, probably because he was absolutely perfect.

“Oh god I’m so sorry! I swear I’m usually not this klutzy!” Bucky replied, because he had apparently forgotten every step of his plan.

Sam laughed “Hey, if you’d like, maybe we could try running into each other somewhere besides the library.”

Bucky found himself smiling like an idiot (smooth Barnes, smooth) “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Sam said. Bucky was pretty sure that that gap toothed smile wasn’t going to be everything he dreamed about for a month. “Maybe dinner and a movie? I just really wanna see if you can walk an entire block without falling over yourself and busting that cute face up.”

Bucky was pretty sure he was as red as a tomato but he was smiling nonetheless “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”


	4. The Great Misunderstanding That Actually Turned Out to Be Great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr Prompt: SamBucky. Bucky hitting his head on something and has temporary amnesia for like a few days. During those days he forgot how to speak english and the only person he can really remember is Sam so he assumes they're dating/married.

“Sargeant Barnes, can you tell me what year it is?”

Bucky scowls at the nurse who’s face is hidden in his chart. “Yes, it’s 2016.”

The nurse’s eyes snap up to his and she smiles. “Good! Seems like you’re healing up nicely.” She shuts his chart “you’re good to go Sargeant. The orderly will be in shortly with your discharge paperwork.”

Bucky nods. “Have you seen my husband? He hasn’t been by today.”

The nurse stops in her tracks and turns around to face him again. She quirks and eyebrow and says, “I’ll- uh- he’s in the waiting room. I’ll tell him you want him to come in.”

A few minutes later, the door to Bucky’s room creaks softly as Sam enters.

“Buck-”

“Hey handsome. I’ve been missing that beautiful face of yours today.”

Sam cocks his head to the side and opens his mouth to say something before Bucky continues, “You’ve been holding out on me. I haven’t gotten a single kiss from my best guy since I’ve been stuck up in here.” 

“Bucky, maybe I should get a nurse-”

“For what? Do you need an audience? Come here, give me some lovin’, baby. Don’t make me keep begging.” 

“Bucky, I uh, oh what the hell.”

Sam crosses the room and closes the space between the two of them before Bucky’s hands are cupping his face and pressing their lips together.

*****  
“You thought we were MARRIED?”  
“You mean to tell me that was our first kiss?”


	5. The Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr Prompt: sambucky with sam proposing to bucky!!

If there was one thing Sam Wilson knew how to do, it was romance. 

He had the perfect plan. He’d booked the special room at Bucky’s favorite restaurant, hired a violin player, and even purchased a bottle of champagne that was somehow older than his boyfriend for them to share.

He was going to romance the fuck out of James Barnes. And it was only then, after Bucky was properly wined and dined that he was going to drop to one knee and propose to the love of his life. It was going to be PERFECT.

It was, before the aliens decided to rudely interrupt.

“Sam, I need air support!” Cap shouted through the comms.

The aliens were slug-like. Slithering their way through queens like they owned the place. And as if interrupting his perfect proposal dinner wasn’t enough, they were leaving a thick trail of slime in their wake, making it damn hard for the ground-bound members of the avengers to do anything but get nice and stuck and fend them off as they got closer.

Sam flew in and shot the alien slug making its advance on Steve. It exploded, covering Steve with gunk and slime.

Sam grimaced “Sorry, cap!”

Steve sighed “all in a day’s work.”

Sam flew overhead the scene, watching his fellow avengers take the slugs down one by one until Natasha’s voice came loud in his ear, “Sam! They’ve got Barnes! Two blocks north!”

“I’m on it!” The pit of Sam’s stomach dropped as he banked left and headed for Bucky’s position. They couldn’t take him. Not tonight, not ever. His pulse raced in his veins as he drew closer to the slug and realized it had Bucky’s booted feet sticking out of its mouth.

“You picked the wrong day asshole” Sam muttered as he shot the slug. It exploded, just as its counterparts had- with gunk and slime flying everywhere then collapsed into a gross heaping pile. Sam landed on the ground next to it as Bucky wriggled himself out of its mouth. Within two strides Sam met Bucky, grabbing his face in his hands and frantically checking him for injuries.

“That was DISGUSTING!” Bucky exclaimed, wiping the slime out of his eyes. He met Sam’s worried gaze “what’s got you lookin so worked up, champ?”

“You!” Sam was yelling “you! You dumbass! You could have told me you didn’t have support! You were going to get eaten if Natasha didn’t see you!” Sam pulled Bucky close to him, squeezing.

“Whoa, calm down tiger! I know we missed date night but I was fine!”

“Fine?? You call that fine?? And date night!? You asshole I was going to propose! I can’t believe you! You almost got killed on the night I was trying to propose!”

Bucky stilled. “Propose?” He took Sam’s face in his hands, “You wanna marry me baby?”

“Of course I do, you motherfucker!” Sam noticed Bucky was smirking, the realization of what he had just admitted dawning on his own face. “Oh!”

“Well normally I would imagine I wouldn’t be wearing slime and tac gear when I got engaged but Sammy baby I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Bucky said before smashing their lips together in a kiss.

“So, that’s a yes?”


	6. The Thermostat Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr Prompt: Okay not really a prompt but Imagine bucky accidentally coming out to sam. Like Sam asks bucky not to touch the thermostat and bucky just starts rubbing fingers along and around it because he's a little shit and says "what are you afraid my gay little hands will mess it up." or something like that

“Bucky if you keep touching the thermostat it’s going to break and-”

“WHAT Wilson? Scared my fucking gay fingers are going to break the damn thermostat?”

“Um. Bucky, are you okay?”

Bucky flops down on the couch, visibly exasperated.

“Yes!” He covers his eye with his elbow, “no. I mean yeah I’m fine. It’s not like hydra’s got me or anything but no.”

Sam’s pretty sure his comfort zone has just up and left the building but he’s not the type of guy to leave a friend hanging so he continues, “but there is something bothering you?”

Bucky peaks an eye out from under his arm “there is.” He gets up and stalks closer to Sam. “It’s you.”

Sam sputters “Buck, look, I’m sorry about yesterday. I know that giving you a glass of ice when you asked for water was a dick move but I really-”

“Do you have any idea how hot you are?” Bucky’s entering Sam’s personal space. Sam’s about to start backing up when it hits him what Bucky just said.

“What?”

“You.” Bucky’s really close now. Their chests almost touching. “You walk around this house every day in your tight little shirts, with your beautiful smile and those amazing brown eyes and here I am!” He throws his hands up “did you expect me not to notice?” 

“Well Bucky it’s really hard not to know that you were noticing when I thought you were as straight as an arrow but please, continue complimenting me.” Sam’s smirking at him now. He takes a step closer to Bucky, pressing himself on him. 

“You gotta lotta nerve, Wilson.”

Sam twines his fingers through Bucky’s hair and pulls his face so close that their noses are touching. 

“Wanna see what else I got?”


	7. The Password

“THAT ASSHOLE!” Sam slammed his computer shut and stomped into the living room to find Steve. 

“He changed the password on my laptop! We gotta go wake him up!”

Steve looked up from his spot on the couch and took a sip of coffee before asking, “What?”  
“Barnes! That inconsiderate dickbag changed the damn password on my phone before he turned himself into an ice cube again!” Sam noticed Steve’s flinch, but cut him off before he could start telling him off with a speech full of earnestness. “Before he decided to put himself back into the cryo chamber until his trigger words could be decommissioned. THERE is that better?”

Steve rolled his eyes and took another sip of his coffee. 

“Well maybe if you hadn’t hidden his left boot for a week this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Steve! I only did that because he turned all my white clothes pink by putting that dirty ass red Henley in the wash with them!”

“Okay, okay” Steve set his coffee down and turned to face Sam. “I get it. You’re both twelve. Maybe if you had taken more than 30 seconds to get to know each other you could have been friends.”

Sam opened his mouth to reply but shut it quickly as his brain supplied him with the image of the way Barnes looked with his lips red and swollen from kissing asking Sam, “can I-”

_Okay, brain that’s enough of THAT._

“You’re probably right. But we didn’t and I hate him and his dumbass long hair.”

Sam’s brain supplied him with the memory that Bucky liked it when Sam wrapped his fingers around his hair and pulled, just hard enough.

Steve cleared his throat, snapping Sam back to himself. “Well go get your laptop fixed. I’m pretty sure we aren’t going back to Wakanda any time soon.” And stood up to go get himself another cup of coffee  
——  
“Okay sir. We’ve figured out the password on your laptop. It’s ‘wait for me’. Cute! Do you have a girlfriend who is going away? That’s very-”

“No! No. Um, thank you.”

Later at home Sam stared at his reflection in his black computer screen. He turned it on and went to type in his password. Barnes was a real asshole alright  
—-  
“Will you wait for me?” Bucky was drawing circles into Sam’s stomach. His head pillowed on Sam’s chest with Sam’s arm holding him close. “I know we didn’t get off on the right foot. But I’ve never known anyone like you and,” he sat up and looked Sam in the eyes “you make me feel worth it.”

Sam pulled him close again and ran his fingers through Bucky’s hair.

“Yeah. I’ll wait for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr @Unclesteeb


	8. The pointless modern au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cuz I love dad!steve, that's why.
> 
> Tumblr prompt: when Bucky gets drunk he talks in a thick booklyn accent. 
> 
> I got a little carried away, try and spot the prompt :)

James Barnes was a man of simple tastes. Good music, good liquor, a nice smoke and a guy or girl with a pretty smile. That's really all it took to make him a happy man. 

So why did he deserve this?

"Buck. How the fuck am I supposed to get this on her? She's so wriggly!"

Steve and Bucky had been best friends their entire lives. Their mothers had grown up next door to one another. So it was only natural that when they both had sons only a few months apart in age, that their sons would become just as attached at the hip as they were. The two of them grew up in Brooklyn, with dirt on their knees and a smile on their faces. Before long, Bucky found himself chasing Steve out of back alley fist fights, trying his best to reel his smaller best friend back in. So it was natural that after Steve had hit a growth spurt in high school and bulked up a bit, that Bucky had followed him into the army too. Old habits die hard.

"Here I'll hold her down. You put her feet in then- oh Christ how does she keep DOING this?" 

It surprised both Steve and Bucky when after their tour in the army had ended, Steve found himself being summoned to court for child support. His ex-girlfriend kindly forgot to mention that their last night together ended up in a pregnancy. Steve had dipped into his savings, hired the best attorney he could find, attended ass loads of therapy, and managed to get partial custody of his daughter, Sarah. 

Which is how Bucky found himself here, attempting to wrangle a 6 month old baby into her pajamas. 

"Here, Steve, just pick her up. I can do this." Bucky's sister was only two years younger than him. He had no experience with this whole "baby thing". But he did have sniper's precision, a Stark Industries prototype metal prosthetic, and a strong will. Certainly being half-robot could be used as an advantage here. As Steve picked Sarah up and held her in front of him Bucky slid her little feet into the pajamas then the two of them flipped and flopped the poor baby around in their arms until her arms were inside as well. Bucky took Sarah from Steve and zipped the front of the outfit up.  
"There! You stinker! We got 'cha!" 

Sarah giggled then stuck her thumb into her mouth, laying her head onto Bucky's shoulder, thoroughly exhausted from giving her father and uncle a hard time. 

After Bucky laid her down in her crib he joined Steve on the couch. Steve passed him a beer. 

"Sam from the VA is coming over later."  
"Ugh. Did you have to invite him?"  
Steve turned to face him.  
"Yes Buck! He's my friend. I don't understand why you don't like him so much."

Bucky could think of about 1,000 reasons why, most of them involving the way Sam looked in a pair of jeans or that gap between his teeth. It wasn't fair that Steve's best friend since coming home was so perfect. It also wasn't fair that even though every functional part of Bucky's brain knew that Sam was straight and even if he wasn't there was no way that Sam would be into someone like him. Someone that woke Steve up in the middle of the night almost as much as his daughter did. Someone who couldn't even fathom living alone, who couldn't walk down the street without panic rising up his throat, who could barely stand to see his reflection in the mirror.

Yeah, Sam Wilson would never want anyone like that.

"Because he just rubs me the wrong way, Steve! If he's coming over, I- I'm going to bed." 

Steve laughed and threw his hands up "you're unbelievable! You're an actual child, Buck. I have two children. I can't believe this." He shooed Bucky with his hand "Go on. Be a drama queen and go to bed. I'll wake you up for kindergarten tomorrow." 

Bucky huffed but before he could reply the buzzer to the apartment sounded, signaling Sam's arrival. 

Bucky was cocooned under his blankets and sheets before he heard Sam ask "Where's Bucky?"  
He heard the unmistakeable clink of Steve placing his empty beer bottle in the trash before saying "he's just not feeling so hot tonight. You know how that goes."  
Bucky rolled his eyes and mumbled "great Steve. Make the guy think I'm a basket case. Couldn't have said 'oh Sam he's got a flu'. Sure go straight to the PTSD."  
Bucky stopped grumbling enough to hear the end of Sam's retort  
"- it would have been nice to see him, that's all."  
"Yeah, I know."  
Bucky buried himself deeper, and let the low tones of Sam and Steve's voices lull him to sleep.

******

It wasn't that Sam found himself sitting on Steve Roger's couch half-daydreaming, half-worrying about his roommate Bucky most nights... Yeah that's exactly what it was.

"Sam, are you listening?" 

Sam snapped his eyes up to see Steve, cell phone in hand. 

"What?" 

"I was asking you what you want on your pizza." Steve frowned at him. 

"I don't know, just get whatever you and Bucky want." 

"Okay well that's fine and dandy but Bucky's probably going to stay in his room all night." Steve grinned like a shark, "Hope you like pineapples and ham!" 

Sam grimaced. Pineapples on pizza was not the most disappointing thing about this night. 

Since he had met Steve a few months ago at a VA meeting the two of them were practically inseparable. Him and Steve got along famously. Him and Steve's daughter got along even better. But Sam and Steve's roommate and best friend Bucky, that was another story. 

The first time he met Bucky was when Steve had dragged him to lunch. Bucky was a Vet like them, a sniper- Steve had informed him. They met for lunch at a local cafe. Bucky flopped himself down facing the front door of the cafe. His eyes met Sam's then trailed down his body, analyzing. 

Sam stuck his hand out, "Hey man, Sam Wilson. Good to meet you."

"Bucky. Likewise." His light eyes meeting Sam's as their hands met in the middle of the table to shake.

There were no ifs, ands or buts about it, Bucky was stunning. 

Sam realized he was still shaking Bucky's hand about a beat too late. He let go as Steve returned to them with Sarah on his hip. 

During the meal Sam watched Bucky retreat further into himself. Steve had warned him about the metal arm and Sam was pretty sure that he was squeezing his flesh forearm hard enough to bruise. Sam tried his best to pull Bucky into the conversation but he wasn't really surprised when Bucky had thrown some bills on the table and told Steve "I gotta go, see you at home." and walked out of the cafe without another look in Sam's direction.

Not surprised but definitely disappointed.

That's how Sam would describe his relationship with Bucky Barnes if he was asked; disappointing. There was something about being in a room with him that was unnerving in the best kind of ways. He felt safe but on guard. Excited and nervous. He found himself craving Bucky's presence in his life even though Bucky couldn't seem to stand him. It didn't feel right. Sam had good instinct. He knew how to read people. So what was Bucky's deal? 

After about a month of Bucky shutting himself in his bedroom every time Sam entered the apartment he shared with Steve, Sam had had enough. He needed to find somewhere else to go tonight. Work had been shit all week, a car backfiring sent him straight overseas inside his head, and he was out of beer. It was time to stop moping around about a guy who didn't even want to be in the same room as him. 

Sam made himself get up, threw on his favorites pair of jeans and tee, and left his apartment.

He needed a drink. 

*****  
It wasn't often that Bucky went out without Steve, but it was his night with Sarah and frankly, Bucky was feeling good about himself.

It had been a good month. He was feeling better. He was taking care of himself, going to his therapy, eating better, exercising again and even sleeping better too.  
Bucky sipped his drink. The only way his night could get better is if he found a pretty brunette to take home.

"Bucky?"  
Really, any other pretty brunette, but that one.

Bucky turned around. In front of him stood Sam Wilson, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt that fit him in a way that was just unfair.

"Hey Sam." Bucky turned back around. He was not going to let Sam Wilson ruin his night. No matter how fine he looked.

"Mind if I sit?"

Now James Barnes wasn't an asshole, if the man wanted to sit he could sit. Sit his pretty ass right in that chair.

"Sure, sure." Bucky could feel the self-doubt crawling up the back of his neck. He shoved it down.

Sam turned to him, "Bucky I've had a shit week. What's your favorite type of vodka?"

\--------

Way too many shots later Bucky found himself walking home with his arm draped around Sam's shoulder. For support. Not because he liked to touch Sam. Just because when a sexy guy with a beautiful smile buys you a drink you drink it, and Bucky was enjoying the feel of Sam's body against his too much to talk himself into letting go.

"Bucky, why do you hate me?"

Okay, there was no way Bucky could stay upright and have this conversation, so he lead the two of them to a bench and sat down. Sam followed after him, their thighs touching.

"Why do you think I hate you?" Bucky kept his eyes forward, watching the cars as they drove down the street.

"Well, for one. You've been looking at me like I kicked your puppy for the past four months. Then for the past month it's seemed like every time I come over to hang out, you up and disappear as soon as I walk in the door. I mean, I know that shit can get rough and all but I just, I just-"  
"I do. I do hate you." Bucky took a breath and continued without looking at Sam. He felt the man tense beside him. He doesn't think he could stand to look into Sam's eyes right now. "because you're perfect." Bucky felt Sam relax and shift so that he was facing him.

"Bucky that's absurd, and pretty ridiculous I-"  
"You are." Bucky turned to face Sam, looking into his sweet brown eyes. He placed his hand on Sam's knee and continued. "You are perfect. Every time I see you, you look put together. You're great with Sarah in ways that I'll never be. Steve thinks you hang the moon. Do you know that up until a few weeks ago Steve would have to get up with me almost every night to calm me down from a nightmare?" Sam shook his head "There you are, Sam. You always know what to say, you're always level headed. It really makes a guy feel some type of way about himself" Bucky can feel his Brooklyn drawl getting thicker as he carries on, both booze and emotion driving his accent home. He squeezes Sam's knee.  
"You're the type of man I want to be. Do you know what the worst part about you is Sam?"

Sam sighed and looked down "Do I want to know?"

"You're beautiful." Sam looked up at Bucky then, an eyebrow cocked. "You're the handsomest guy I've ever seen. Your arms, your legs, your smile. Do you know how hard it is to have to look at someone like you, and not only know that I'll never be a man like you, but I'll never get to be with a guy like you either? That's why I hate you."

For half a minute, neither of them speak, the silence building in between them, fanning out, the noise of the city around them filling it in.

Sam scrunches his face up. He leans further into Bucky's space and takes his face in his hands. Their noses brush and Bucky holds his breath.

"Bucky." Sam whispers, the ghost of the words tickling Bucky's lips and suddenly they're kissing. Sam's pressing his lips hard to Bucky's, winding his fingers in Bucky's hair as if he could pull him closer that way. Sam licks Bucky's bottom lip for permission, asking Bucky to let him in. Bucky deepens the kiss, his metal arm leaving the top of the bench to wrap around Sam's waist. He can feel it, feel what Sam didn't say.

"It's okay. It's okay. You're okay. We're okay. Let me in. Let me in."

It's days later, weeks later, when Sam finally tells him. They're lying in Bucky's bed. The white sheets surrounding Sam's brown skin just right. He's art, Bucky thinks, probably the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He's known this for a while, though, always been sure of it. He traces Sam's jaw with his thumb. Sam pushes Bucky's hair out of his eyes.

"You know. When I came over, I really wanted to see you. It drove me insane that you didn't like me. I used to lie awake at night, wondering what I did wrong sometimes."

Bucky laughed, "So what, you figured exposure therapy was the way to go?"

Sam smiles, "I don't know. But I did know that even when you were giving off enough nasty vibes to power all of Brooklyn, being around you felt like coming home. All you had to do was let me in."

Bucky pulled Sam on top of him, wrapping both his metal and flesh arm around his body. "Yeah well you're here now." He brushes their noses together. "Stay awhile?"


	9. Uncle Sam and Uncle Bucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uncle Sam, Uncle Bucky and their adventures with baby Sarah.

“Bucky, could you bring me Sarah’s sippy cup?”  
It was far too hot to be alive today, and definitely too hot to be babysitting. Bucky and Sam had planned to spend their day lying in their underwear in front of the air conditioning when Steve had let himself into their apartment, frantically shoving Sarah into Sam’s arms along with her diaper bag claiming “I just need to run into work for like two hours!” then kissing his daughter’s cheek and slamming the door behind him before either Sam or Bucky could protest.  
“No” Bucky replied, face down into the carpet.  
Sam, being the only one of Steve’s friend with any babysitting experience (having nieces was good for something) quickly became Steve’s go-to babysitter.  
“Come on Buck. She’s your goddaughter. Come on sweetie, open up. Yummy broccoli!”  
Sarah violently shook her head, her jaw jutting out stubbornly just like her fathers’.  
“But it’s hot,” Bucky whined “Sarah. tell him it’s too hot for Uncle Bucky to move.” He had rolled over onto his back to stick his face even closer to the cool air leaving the air conditioning.  
“Sarah, tell your lovely Uncle Bucky to get his lazy ass up and moving or it will cost him later.”  
Sarah smiled “ass!”  Sam dropped the spoon he was using to feed Sarah.  
“Oh no.” Bucky was cackling “now you’ve done it!”  “Ass! Ass!” Sarah repeated, extremely proud of herself.  
“Sarah, no! Bucky stop laughing you’re encouraging her!”  
“Ass! Ass!”  
Sam hung his head in defeat.

 

**************

Sarah poked him in the nose.  
"Bug."  
"No. BuC-KKEY. Bucky."

Sarah looked up from her pile of blocks and poked him in the nose again.  
"Bug."

Bucky flopped down onto the carpet. 

"Sarah" he whined. "I'm not a bug. I'm a Bucky!" How are you as much of an ass-aaaaa poopyhead as your daddy? You're not even two." 

Sam chuckled from the kitchen "I think Bug is the perfect nickname for you." He padded into the living room and sat on the carpet next to Bucky and Sarah "Speaking of that big poopyhead? Where is he?"  
"The grocery store." Bucky rolled onto his back to look up at Sam. "His new thing is keeping Sarah away from germs since she'll be starting at the daycare soon." He lightly pinched Sarah's thigh and she giggled. 

Sam pulled Sarah into his lap "Oh I see! We can't have that nose running before its time now, can we?" He tapped Sarah's nose with his pointer finger.  
She giggled and tapped his back  
"Ham" 

Sam stilled.

"Sam. Did she just call you... Ham?" Bucky's entire body was vibrating with the effort of not laughing. 

Sam scowled  
"Why yes my darling BUG. She did." 

Sarah pointed at Sam and Bucky in turn. "Ham. Bug." She looked extremely proud of herself. 

"Well my lovely Ham," Bucky said as he sat up and scooted closer to his boyfriend and Sarah. "We've called each other worse."


End file.
